Theses supervised by Prof. Dr. Yonca Özkan
19 theses · Çukurova University, Hakkari University
A multifaceted approach to challenges faced by nnests: A comparative case study of a private and a state secondary school in turkey
As English has become a global language, dichotomy of NESTs (Native English speaking Teachers) and NNESTs (Non-native English speaking Teachers) has become a controversial issue. Although previous studies focused on strengths and weaknesses of two groups, few studies have focused on challenges of being a NNEST and how NNESTs overcome those challenges. Therefore, this mixed-method comparative case study does not only investigate the causes and outcomes of the difficulties encountered by NNESTs, but it also highlights how contextual and individual factors influence the way those challenges are experienced and handled. Sample of the study consists of 10 NNESTs from two highly reputed secondary schools in Hatay; one state school and one private school. The quantitative data were gathered by use of a close-ended questionnaire administered to participants at the spring term of 2018-2019 academic year. Classroom observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant in order to obtain qualitative data which was also obtained from the open-ended questions included in the questionnaire. Quantitative findings were analyzed by use of SPSS version 22 while thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The findings indicated that both group of NNESTs mostly experienced student-related challenges. However, teacher-related challenges and institution-related challenges were found higher in state school part. When compared with state school teachers; private school teachers were found much more effective in dealing with the challenges they face, which was associated with contextual differences between two schools as well as individual differences among the participants. The study has important suggestions as to how the NNESTs working in Turkey can be empowered based on the findings obtained. Keywords: NEST, NNEST, challenges, contextual factors
English for specific purposes (ESP) program evaluation of an engineering faculty at a private university in Turkey
This thesis aims to evaluate the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) program at the engineering faculty at Toros University in Turkey. The research was based on Hutchinson and Waters' (1987) framework for ESP, and multiple sources of data collection were used. The participants of this study were 66 engineering faculty students and six ESP instructors. The study demonstrated that the main objective of the ESP program is to develop personal strategies for reviewing new related vocabulary, to use vocabulary in a variety of academic speaking, listening, writing and reading activities. The students' needs were grouped in three categories which are occupational, social and educational. The main need of the engineering students is expansion of vocabulary because they are unfamiliar with the terminology of their future professions. The majority of the students believed they were competent in grammar but needed to develop their vocabulary. Most of the students wanted to use a textbook prepared specifically for their major study area. This thesis contributes to the knowledge of the ESP branches employed at the engineering faculty of Toros University. It also contributes to language instructors who are preparing to practice teaching in this area and to researchers who are willing to conduct research about this field. Keywords: English for specific purposes, ESP, ELT, Needs analysis
Representation of cultural elements in efl textbooksused in Iranian efl high schools
English language has now become the language of international communication all over the world. It means that speakers of different languages use it to interact with each other in diverse situations. Therefore, speakers of English language may encounter with people of different cultures from various countries. Thus, to be a successful language communicator, learners should have information about the customs, traditions, and beliefs of various countries. In this case, textbooks and teachers are important factors to promote learners' cultural knowledge. Consequently, the main purposes of this dissertation study were to discover the cultural contents of three English language textbooks that are being used in high schools in Iran. It was also intended to explore English language teachers' views and outlooks on teaching cultural contents in their English language classes. This study was designed and carried out as a descriptive case study. To analysis the cultural contents of the English language textbooks, content analysis was used. Accordingly, Kachru's (1986) model was used to determine the geographical origins of the cultures which were represented in the three English language textbooks. Besides, Horibe's (2008) model was utilized to investigate the aspects of cultural contents incorporated in the three English language textbooks. Similarly, nine English language teachers that were teaching in high school in Iran were interviewed. The method that was used to analyze the findings of interviews was thematic analysis. The results of the study showed that the cultural contents of Iran dominated the cultural subjects of these English language textbooks. Also, it was discovered that among three aspects of culture represented in Horibe's (2008) model, culture as social customs cover most of the cultural contents of these three English language textbooks. Moreover, teachers believed that cultural contents should be taught alongside language in English language classes. Furthermore, they thought that the cultural contents of these English language textbooks were mostly about Iran which were not too beneficial for students. Considering English as an international language, it seems that the cultural contents of these English language course books are not useful to promote students' intercultural competence. Students may communicate with people of different countries with various cultures therefore to avoid communication breakdown, students should encounter with different cultures of diverse countries. The authors of English language textbooks should recognize internationality of the English language and prepare English language textbooks considering this fact. They should contain the cultural contents of their own countries as well as the cultural contents of other countries. Key Words: English language teaching, course book evaluation, culture, intercultural elements.
Evaluation of an English preparatory program through the context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model
Research regarding language program evaluation gained more significance during recent years with the increasing popularity of English language teaching. Program evaluation studies are mainly conducted to obtain information about programs. Therefore, stakeholders of programs in question can figure out whether their programs are efficiently functioning or whether any improvement is needed. This study aims to shed light upon the constituents, implementation, and effectiveness of the English preparatory program implemented at a school of foreign languages in Turkey from students', instructors', and administrators' perspectives. The context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model was utilized during the evaluation of the entire process. A concurrent nested strategy was selected to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and document analysis were utilized as data sources. In the study, 81 students, 9 language instructors, and 2 administrator-instructors acted as participants. Descriptive statistics were analysed thorough SPSS 25.0. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyse and interpret the elicited qualitative data. The results showed that the participants were substantially satisfied with the program. Basic language skills and the students' needs were found to be considered. Strong communication and coordination existed among the students, instructors, and administrators. However, some motivational problems were observed among the participants. In-service trainings for the academic staff were found to be necessary. Additionally, the results implied that some improvements could be made to make the program more efficient and to conveniently address the targeted objectives of the institution. Keywords: English preparatory program, the CIPP model, English language teaching, program evaluation.
The effects of blogging on enhancement of L2 learners' writing skills at preparatory class level
In the last three decades, the integration of computers, and internet-related tools into language teaching has enabled the teachers to move the instructional practices beyond the boundaries of schools. Of the second generation Web 2.0. tools, blogs have been found to enhance students' foreign language uptake and foster language learning. Since blogging is a relatively new phenomenon introduced to language learning, there is a paucity of literature with regard to blogging practices in foreign language writing instruction. In this respect, this study set out to find the effects of blogging on participants' writing performance in blogging embedded preparatory EFL writing classes. Thirty-nine EFL preparatory class students from a school of foreign languages at a state university formed the participant pool. While the quantitative data utilized in the study were collected through pre-test, post-test, blog posts, two questionnaires, and document analysis, the qualitative data were elicited via semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were processed via SPSS 25 and Excel, and the qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The results of the nine-week quasi-experimental, mixed data set study indicated that participants in the intervention group outperformed the participants in the control group, and the intervention led to improved linguistic accuracy, organizational skills, and cooperation among participants. Increased perceived learning and high levels of motivation were also attained as a result of the blogging process. However, the study also gave rise to several themes associated with negativity, some of which found to be novelties in the field, concerning integrating blogs into L2 writing instruction. Keywords: English preparatory program, written corrective feedback (WCF), English language learning, blogging, EFL composition, L2 writing
Teaching English as a lingua franca in Turkey: An autoethnographic study
This dissertation aims to explore the processes of ELF teaching and its applicability in a Turkish norm-based context. The significance of the study lies in its effort to produce ELF activities, to implement them in a classroom, and to reveal its aspects. This effort could shed light on the need for bridging the theory-practice gap in the ELF literature. As this study is an autoethnography, the main data source was the researcher. The study also included supporting participants in order to explore the issue from different perspectives. The study was conducted at an elementary level preparatory classroom in a state university. The researcher prepared 13 ELF activities and implemented them as extracurricular activities. The data regarding ELF materials development and classroom application gathered via researcher journal, activity reflection logs, and the recordings of the classroom sessions. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 12 students and 16 instructors to get their views about contextual factors, ELF, and ELF materials. All data was analyzed by thematic analysis. The findings of the study show that ELF materials development was challenging due to the challenge of moving from theory to practice. Moreover, developing ELF materials was time-consuming due to searching for appropriate sources such as audiovisuals on the internet and the need for their adaptation to classroom use. The findings regarding the classroom application show that time-constraint was a challenge in the context. Besides, during the implementation process, the researcher came to several significant realizations that needed consideration such as the need for teacher's content knowledge, increase in L1 use, students' becoming informed rather than aware, the teachability of ELF. The findings also indicate that students voiced several negative views about the activities such as difficulty to comprehend, speech rate, engaging function, and usefulness. Some materials had drawbacks such as the exposure quantity, length and difficulty of the sources used. However, the findings also indicate that there were also positive aspects. The students' views were dominantly positive about the activities regarding their engaging and informative function, affective factor and contribution to language learning. Besides, the materials had positive aspects, their content's effect on student engagement and promoting critical thinking. The findings also show that the ELF applicability could be challenged by institutional factors, lack of ELF awareness, student profile, and lack of ELF perspective in teaching materials. However, the instructors' and students' support for ELF could be viewed as opportunities for EFL applicability. Keywords: English language teaching, ELF application, elementary level, autoethnography.
Peer assessment in writing at preparatory level within a Turkish higher education context: Perceptions, efficacy, and implementation of peer assessment
Assessment has been one of the most crucial parts of education. As the world has been changing and improving in many respects, it is natural for the assessment in the education context to change and evolve. One of the recent changes in assessment is the advent of alternative assessment techniques such as peer and self assessment. Peer assessment, primarily, refers to the assessment of oral performance or written products by peers. There have been a great number of studies related to peer assessment. However, the number of the studies that combined both students' and instructors' perceptions of peer assessment and that analysed both student- and instructor-scoring has been few in the related area. Therefore, this mixed methods study set out to reveal a) how ELT students and their instructor perceive peer assessment before and after the implementation of peer assessment; b) the correlation between students' and the instructor' scoring for the written works of students. To attain these purposes, this study made use of both formative and summative peer assessment types. The participants of the study were ELT students who studied at preparotary school and their instructor for writing class at Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, a state university in Turkey. The study lasted for 14 weeks in the Fall Term of the Academic Year of 2019-2020. Data collection tools were questionnaires that included both Likert type and open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were processed via SPSS 22. More specifically, decriptive analysis of SPSS was utilized to analyse Likert-type question in both questionnaires, while Pearson correlation test was employed to analyse the students' and the instructor's scores for four writing assignments. As for the qualitative data emanated from the interviews and open-ended questions of the questionnaires, thematic analysis was utilized. The findings of the study revealed that most of the participants, including the instructor, were keen on integrating peer assessment in classroom practices. Before the implementation of the peer assessment process, the instructor had several concerns. However, at the end of the term, both the instructor and the students were mostly satisfied with the process. Their satisfaction with the peer assessment was also substantiated with the correlation between instructor- and student-scoring. This study presents several implications for not only language learners and instructors but also for curriculum designers, material developers, and administrative staff. Keywords: ELT, alternative assessment, peer assessment, student-scoring.
Effects of (V-CASTS) on EFL vocabulary expansion of Turkish high school students in writing
With the onset of the integration of the digital world's speed and content into education, web-based courses were launched into pedagogics. In the digital century, as we are going through, learners are exposed to their target language on various platforms through their daily lives. English language learners are expected to utilize several tools in learning with the object of improving a certain skill in their foreign languages. The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how viewing v-casts (short videos) influences the 9th grade EFL learners' written performances regarding vocabulary enhancement in English. The v-cast preferences of learners' and the views of EFL teachers on the use of v-casts with high school students in a Turkish ELT environment were additionally in the scope of the study. The participants of the study were 51 high school students of 9th grade in Hatay, Turkey. We searched for any differences and/or improvements in the participants' written performances regarding vocabulary learning proceeding the continual implementation of v-cast viewing activities. The study followed a mixed-method research design. The participants watched v-casts during their English courses and as extramural work. Pre and post-viewing written performances of the participants as well as semi-structured interviews and reflections reports were analyzed based on four titles; usage of affixation, the usage of content words based on CEFR, topic-based lexicon usage and the analysis of word count. The findings demonstrate that 9th-grade high school students formed a wider reservoir of vocabulary after the regular practice of v-cast watching activities and that they manage to use it in their written scripts. This study presents considerable implications for the teachers who prefer integrating v-casts into the training of writing skills in EFL. Since v-casts are downloadable and do not require advanced ICT skills or a permanent internet connection to display, they become easily accessible for the learners as well as the teachers. Keywords: ELT, short videos (v-casts), vocabulary enhancement, written performance, listening and viewing skills, digital classroom
Turkey's Ministry of Education emergency management policy in the COVID-19 outbreak: EFL teachers' digital literacy and consistency of distance online education process
The global overspread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused pivotal changes in all spheres of life, including education systems that resulted in universal school closures from K-12 to tertiary level. The pandemic is broadly progressing on attending and running the education systems' outputs that some of them might already be damaged in several aspects. The outbreak has affected millions of students, which the learning gap among them has widened because of the swift shift from traditional learning to online distance learning. Neither teachers nor students were ready for digital education due to inadequate time to plan and precise information. Within the given context, the primary purpose of the current study is to investigate the digital literacy of Turkish EFL teachers and their experiences in using digital tools, particularly the EIN (Educational Informatics Network) platform, which is the national educational website in Turkey, the availability of online material, the efficacy of online assessment and feedback, and how teacher-student interaction occurred during the process in English classes at state schools. The study is adopted a mixed research design. The participants of the quantitative data, which was gathered through an online Likert-scale questionnaire, were 121 EFL teachers of MoNE (Ministry of National Education) who work in Kahramanmaraş, and qualitative data were obtained through online semi-structured interviews with 12 EFL teachers. It was investigated the practices, challenges, and strengths of distance online education and the efficacy and feasibility of online teaching. The data obtained for this aim were analyzed through SPSS 25.0 and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that EFL teachers felt competent in integrating digital tools into teaching; the internet connection problems were challenging during the live-streamed classes, and the EIN platform was a good component of instruction during the COVID-19 disease outbreak. This study presents significant implications for the future inquiry of EFL teaching and curriculum. Keywords: COVID-19 effects on education, digital literacy of EFL teachers, distance online language education, live-streamed lessons, digital assessment, and feedback
An investigation of the reasons and motivation for pre-service English teachers choosing to specialize in English language teacher education
Due to the positive influence of motivation, it has a significant footprint in the literature. There have been motivational studies in many areas, and it has been aimed to improve the quality of work done by increasing the motivation of different employees. Education is also one of these areas, and there are many studies in the literature that research and aim to increase teacher and student motivation. Therefore, English education has been the research subject in the related area, and many studies have been conducted in both international and national contexts. Many studies in the literature study factors that influence the motivations of English teachers or how any situation or phenomenon affects the English teachers' motivation. However, according to the literature review, there is a severe deficiency of studies that relate the reasons and motivations of English teachers to choose this profession and investigate the relations between demographic data and teacher training relationship with these motivations and reasons. This study purposes to fill this gap in the literature and reveal what can be done to positively improve English teachers' motivation and attitudes towards the profession, starting with teacher education. The present study aims to explore the reasons and motivations for English teachers' profession; the researcher utilized a mixed-method research design intended to gain deep knowledge of the research subject using qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative research data was provided by the survey in the first quarter of the research, and qualitative data will be gathered by the semi-structured interview method. After the pilot application, the adapted questionnaire was applied based on the factor influencing teaching choice (FIT-Choice) scale. The adapted questionnaire was applied to the 132 students who enrolled in the English language teaching program and have volunteered, and the questionnaire provided some light on the participants' individual information, the factors and motivations for deciding on this profession. On the other hand, more in-depth data was attained with 12 volunteer teacher candidates from each grade who joined the questionnaire through the conducted semi-structured interviews in the 2021-2022 education year. The obtained quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS 26, and the qualitative data were examined using the thematic analysis method. Then, these data about causes and motivations were analyzed and classified, and demographic information and profiles of pre-service teachers were obtained. With the obtained demographic data, their relationship with the teacher motivation was revealed by T-test and one-way variant analysis (ANOVA). The survey results revealed that pre-service teacher candidates had high vocational motivations and factors influencing them. In addition, findings show no significant difference in teacher motivations in terms of gender, grade and income background. The semi-structured interview results also achieved several factors other than the questionnaire affecting English teacher candidates. The results obtained by this study were aimed at achieving the positive influences of the motivations and attitudes toward the professions of English teachers in a mixed-method research design. Using these factors to increase the motivations of the teachers' candidates, starting with the teacher training process, can be a significant step toward achieving highly motivated teachers. Therefore, research findings provide essential information for educators and program developers who have a role in English and other teacher training education to select proper teacher candidates, train, place them, retain them in school, raise and keep high their motivation, and eliminate the possible teacher shortage and burnout. Keywords: Teacher motivation, Teacher training, English teacher training, career motivation, Teaching career choice, English teaching career choice, Factors influencing teaching choice (FIT-Choice) scale
The effects of translanguaging pedagogy on listening and reading comprehension and learners' perspectives on translanguaging in an EFL context
Integrating translanguaging pedagogy into language classes to create 'translanguaged language classes' can be possible through adopting one of the 'fluid languaging' or 'fixed language' approaches. Fluid languaging approach encourages the use of all linguistic and semiotic repertoires for effective communication whereas fixed language approach accepts different languages as social realities and suggests that transfers from one language to another is natural for multilingual people. It promotes switches among known languages for communicative and educational purposes. The focus is more on linguistic repertoire in the fixed language approach; therefore, it might be more appropriate approach to use while designing the classes with a translanguaging pedagogy in EFL context. Through using 'fixed language approach, this quasi-experimental study with both quantitative and qualitative data has two main purposes. Firstly, it aims to reveal beliefs for translanguaging in the Turkish EFL context. Secondly, it investigates the effects of translingual pedagogy on language learners' listening and reading comprehension by proposing a translanguaging technique for the EFL contexts. The study is significant because it is one of the few studies investigating the translanguaging beliefs of learners at tertiary level in a Turkish context. It presents a practical technique for designing listening and reading tasks with translingual pedagogy and compares monolingual and translingual perspectives through an intervention. Moreover, it is one of the first studies examining the effect of translingual pedagogy on listening comprehension in the EFL context. The participants were 56 intermediate-level English preparatory program EFL learners at a Turkish university. There were 30 learners in the control group, whereas 26 were in the experimental group. First, beliefs about translanguaging were examined through a questionnaire, and five reading and five listening tasks were conducted with a monolingual perspective in the control group. The same tasks were conducted with translingual pedagogy in the experimental group. Learners answered the same ten comprehension questions in each task. During the tasks, the researcher kept teacher/researcher journals. The listening and reading comprehension of the two groups were compared statistically through the answers to the questions and both groups were compared qualitatively through the data from the journals. The difficulties that the control group had with a monolingual perspective were found with an open-ended questionnaire. Another open-ended questionnaire was conducted with the experimental group to answer whether adopting a translingual perspective can overcome difficulties in the listening and reading tasks with a monolingual perspective. An interview with nine voluntary participants from the experimental group was conducted to triangulate the data. The triangulated data analysis indicated participants' supporting ideas for translanguaging for clarity and efficacy of mostly teaching processes and their frequent translanguaging practices in English classes. The statistical comparison of reading and listening scores indicated a significant difference in one of the listening tasks, suggesting that translingual pedagogy might be promising for teaching listening skills. The analysis of the qualitative data demonstrated that some of the difficulties experienced with a monolingual perspective can be overcome with a translingual perspective. Learners mostly prefer translanguaging for difficult sentences, vocabulary and sharing background knowledge about the topic. They might lack experience or knowledge on how to use the translanguaging pedagogy for learning, therefore designing listening and reading tasks through translingual pedagogy with preview, view, and review steps might be efficient for listening and reading pair work activities. The study indicated some gaps between the ideal and the practice as well. Although learners consider pair or group work activities in listening and reading tasks an opportunity for practice, the experimental group was more active in all phases in their native languages and the target language. Learners' biggest concern was developing a habit of using the native language in the target language class, which might warn planners and teachers to plan allocated time for using the native language in a foreign language class. The final product must always be in the target language, and the time allocated for the native language must be limited, according to the findings. Keywords: English language teaching, translanguaging, translingual pedagogy, multilingualism, translingual breaks, translingual reading and listening tasks
The effects of collaborative video-blog projects on Turkish EFL students' linguistic and digital literacy skills
In the 21st century, as communication practices are increasingly mediated through digital technologies, developing digital literacy and communication skills has become essential for learners to participate actively in professional, academic, and social contexts. However, in many EFL contexts, especially where opportunities for authentic speaking practices outside the classroom are limited, EFL learners often struggle to express themselves. Addressing this issue, this study investigates the impacts of implementing collaborative vlog projects on Turkish EFL learners' speaking and digital literacy skills in a higher education context. This study also explores EFL learners' perceptions before and after participating in these projects and examines their opinions and suggestions regarding the implementation of these projects. The study employed a case study-mixed method approach with a one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 40 EFL learners enrolled in a compulsory English preparatory program at a state university in Türkiye. Participants were selected through a random purposive sampling method. A constructivist/interpretivist research paradigm was adopted. Data were collected from pre-post semi-structured face-to-face interviews, pre-post speaking tests, pre-post digital literacy scale, five reflective journals, a self-assessment rubric, and a researcher diary. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, while thematic analysis was employed to interpret the qualitative data. The findings demonstrated that integrating collaborative vlog projects into English-speaking classes was perceived as engaging, motivating, and entertaining, with a multidimensional positive impact on EFL learners' improvement, grounded in Vygotsky's social constructivist theory. The results demonstrated significant academic development in English-speaking skills, including fluency, accuracy, vocabulary, grammar, and speech organization. There was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-speaking test results. Additionally, a significant development was reported in digital and technological skills, particularly in using video editing tools, digital applications, and online sites critically and ethically, as well as in researching skills. The quantitative results of the digital literacy scale also revealed a statistically significant increase in the post-test. Additionally, affective and personal development were reported in areas such as world knowledge, self-confidence, self-reflection, self-evaluation, time management, leadership, responsibility, empathy, patience, and respect for others. Furthermore, collaborative vlog projects enhanced social development through peer scaffolding, peer learning, peer feedback, group collaboration, and increased interaction. Although some challenges and drawbacks, including issues with group dynamics, technical problems, time management, topic selection, and grading system were reported, the outcomes of implementing collaborative vlog projects generally demonstrate EFL learners' progress across multiple dimensions, which can benefit their future professional and academic pursuits, and align with broader 21st-century skills. Therefore, these findings suggest important theoretical, pedagogical, and practical insights for future studies. Keywords: Language education, social constructivism, collaborative vlog projects, project-based learning, digital literacy, English speaking skills.
School of foreign languages directors' views on leadership and management, qualifications for appointment, and continuing professional development needs: A qualitative study in Turkish context
It is apparent that effective leadership is the most crucial factor influencing student success and school improvement following in-class academic activities. It has been emphasized that comprehensive and systematic training for school leaders on their areas of responsibility before their appointment ensures smooth management of all academic and administrative activities and fosters the well-being of all stakeholders. In this context, equipping school leaders with the necessary qualifications, knowledge, and skills to fulfill their duties enables the realization of the institution's future vision and ensures unity, thereby creating a productive and meaningful school culture through active participation of all stakeholders in the educational process. Therefore, the training and qualifications of school leaders, as well as how their continuous professional development needs are met after their appointment, are worth exploring, as they affect the development of the school and the success of the students. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the perceptions of school leaders on management and leadership concepts, the leadership model predominantly used in their institutions, the qualifications required to be appointed as a school leader, the areas in which training should be received before appointment, and how the continuous professional development needs of school leaders should be treated after appointment. A qualitative descriptive research design was used to conduct the current study. A convenience sampling of 17 school leaders serving as foreign language school directors in both state and foundation universities in all seven regions of Türkiye participated in this study. Qualitative data were collected through a questionnaire including open-ended questions, semi-structured e-mail interviews, and a self-assessment sheet. The cyclical model of Creswell's inductive content analysis was used for data analysis. According to the findings of the study, foreign language school directors associated the leadership concept with being an agent of change, fostering a culture of collaboration, creating vision and inspiration, mediation, school improvement, policy-making, quality-oriented and continuous cognitive labor, while they associated the management concept with checking and ensuring policies, paper works and system, quality assurance, mediation, participative approach, and change management. Additionally, it was determined that the participative leadership model is the most preferred leadership model among school leaders in their institutions. The results also indicated that the qualifications required to be appointed as a foreign language school director include an academic background in language education, soft skills such as communication and interpersonal skills, collaboration, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills, academic excellence, personality traits, and operational efficiency. Furthermore, according to the research findings, school leaders felt the need for training on their areas of responsibility before their appointment and suggested that instructional leadership, ICT and learning, managing people, communication skills, conflict management, management and administration, law, curriculum, leadership, and strategic planning should be included in the leadership development curriculum program designed in Turkish context. Finally, the research results identified various methods for treating the continuous professional development needs of school leaders after their appointment. These included joining in management-related training, staying informed of recent trends in language education, preparing personalized development programs based on needs analysis, networking, higher management support, mentorship programs, collaborative learning communities, pre- and post-appointment training, succession planning, feedback and evaluation, and action research and reflection. Considering the research process and results, various implications and recommendations were derived for the main stakeholders in language education.
Translanguaging-integrated writing procedures and activities within a tertiary context in Turkiye
Translanguaging has captured attention for its capacity to augment language learning, specifically when English is learned as a foreign language, since it enables learners to fully utilize their linguistic repertoires, creating a more inclusive and efficient learning environment. However, there is a lack of study on translanguaging techniques in the Turkish context with English medium instruction (EMI) writing classrooms despite the increasing studies on translanguaging and its applications worldwide. Therefore, this study examines whether there is a significant difference between the paragraph writing performance of the participants exposed to translanguaging-integrated pre-writing brainstorming activities and the participants exposed to English-only pre-writing brainstorming activities at the tertiary level in Türkiye. Moreover, it also aims to present the EFL learners' views and experiences and the researcher/instructor's observation about implementing translanguaging during pre-writing sessions. The study employs a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test nonequivalent groups design to assess the influence of translanguaging on the paragraph writing performance of pre-intermediate EFL learners. The participants were 41 EFL learners studying at a compulsory school of foreign languages in a tertiary-level EFL context with EMI in Türkiye, 22 of whom were in the control group while 19 were in the treatment group. The control group had pre-writing sessions with EMI and was encouraged to speak English during writing classes, whereas the treatment group had translanguaging-integrated pre-writing sessions, enabling the instructor and students to use their first language, Turkish, in the context. Both groups followed the same pacing, used the same coursebook, and completed the same paragraph writing assignments based on the writing assessment criteria prepared by the school. The quantitative and qualitative data include pre-test and post-test paragraph writing scores, open-ended questionnaires, activity reflection logs, and the researcher's journals. The findings revealed that the students in the treatment group scored higher in all the tasks, including pre-test and post-test scores, with some statistically significant differences, showing that integrating translanguaging improves the paragraph writing performance of EFL students. Providing opportunities for EFL learners to utilize their mother tongue and the target language resulted in improved academic performance for the learners to enhance their English paragraph writing, as translanguaging facilitates cooperative learning, eliminates linguistic obstacles, and enhances comprehension, fostering a nurturing learning environment. This study, consistent with Sociocultural Theory, emphasized the significance of social interaction and scaffolding in cognitive development. The findings also indicated that integrating translanguaging resulted in a change in perceptions of the writing classes, translanguaging integration, language preference in writing classes, use of the first language, benefits, and challenges of English paragraph writing, and cooperation in writing classes. Furthermore, translanguaging enabled the learners to participate actively, switch between Turkish and English, and cooperate for specific reasons. Therefore, the current research suggests that utilizing translanguaging in pre-writing activities in EFL classrooms can be an effective technique to improve language learning and enhance paragraph writing skills. Educators should consider incorporating translanguaging techniques to assist diverse learners and enhance academic achievements in multilingual contexts. Keywords: Sociocultural theory, English language teaching, tertiary level, EFL writing, translanguaging.
Perceptions of primary, secondary, and high school students regarding native and nonnative English speaking teachers in an EFL context
Changes and developments in fields such as economics, education, finance, and history have influenced the status of English worldwide and given it global importance. The abovementioned fields have contributed to the popularization of English in various aspects and led to the acceptance of English as a lingua franca. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of primary, secondary, and high school students at a school where English is taught as a foreign language by native and non-native English-speaking teachers. Additionally, the approaches and methods used by native and non-native English-speaking teachers, and the behaviors and attitudes of students toward their teachers were observed in the classroom context. In this research study, data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. A total of 103 students (17 primary, 49 secondary, and 37 high school students) receiving education at a private school responded to the questionnaire. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 students chosen via convenience sampling, and a total of six classroom observations were conducted. Students evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of native and non-native English-speaking teachers on specific topics in detail, and the results revealed that students learn more about different cultures and acquire skills in English with their native English-speaking teachers, while their non-native English-speaking teachers empathize with the language learning process of students. Students also evaluated several criteria to distinguish native speakers from non-native speakers of English and concluded that skin color or being born in a country where English is spoken as a mother tongue does not determine whether a person's mother tongue is English or not. Additionally, the results of the classroom observation were consistent with the results of the questionnaire and interviews. This study aims to make important contributions to the field of English language teaching and has implications for native and non-native English instructors and teachers, material developers, and curriculum designers. Keywords: English language teaching (ELT), English as a foreign language (EFL), native English-speaking teachers (NESTs), non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), classroom practices.
The impact of artificial intelligence-powered technologies on EFL students' English language proficiency, attitudes, and motivation
The majority of English language learners in Türkiye have received instruction through standard methods aimed at acquiring English as a foreign language (EFL). However, students instructed using these methods encounter challenges in acquiring English. This study investigates the enhancement of English proficiency, motivation, and attitudes towards learning English among EFL learners through the integration of AI-powered technology with blended learning. This study investigates the effect of AI tools on students' English language proficiency, attitudes, and motivation. The research included 58 pupils from Batman, Türkiye, throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. A mixed-methods design was employed, utilizing pre- and post-tests, the Attitude and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB), and semi-structured interviews to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The experimental group outperformed the control group in English proficiency. While AMTB results favored the experimental group overall, some dimensions showed variation. The experimental group's mean score for Intensity of Motivation was slightly higher but not statistically significant. Near statistical significance was exhibited in the dimensions of Attitudes Towards Learning English and Instrumental Orientation. The Desire to Learn English was significantly different. Qualitative findings revealed that most students were motivated and had positive attitudes towards learning with AI-powered technologies integrated with blended learning. Key Words: AI-powered technologies, Motivation, Attitudes, English, Blended learning
Dı̇yarbakır'da İngiliz dili eğitimi sınıflarındaki İngı̇lı̇zce kelı̇me öğretı̇mı̇nde oyunlaştırmanın ı̇lköğretı̇m öğrencı̇lerı̇nı̇n başarı ve motı̇vasyonuna etkı̇sı̇
This study explores the influence of gamification elements on the academic achievement and motivation of 62 6th-grade students during a four-week English vocabulary learning program. The target unit was taught to the 31 students in the experimental group using gamification techniques and to the 31 students in the control group using a non-gamified method throughout the course of a 4-week period consisting of 12 English classes. The research employed pre-tests and post-tests, alongside questionnaires and interviews, comparing outcomes between experimental and control groups. The experimental group, exposed to gamification, exhibited significantly more positive attitudes toward English vocabulary learning. Motivation, perceived difficulty, and practical application of vocabulary showed improvement. Nevertheless, challenges emerged, including potential confusion in course content comprehension. The study contributes insights into the effectiveness of gamification in language learning, highlighting its positive impact on motivation and practical application. Key Terms: ELT, Gamification, Academic achievement, Motivation.
Türkiye bağlamında ortaokul öğrencilerinde dünya İngilizcelerinin farkındalığının artırılması
Bu çalışma temel olarak ortaokul öğrencilerinin dünya İngilizcelerine ilişkin farkındalıklarını ve bunun öğrenme süreçlerini nasıl etkileyebileceğini ortaya çıkarmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu çalışma, öğrencilerin dünya çapında İngilizcenin farklı kullanımını görmelerine yol açmakta ve bu da onları farklı sınıf etkinlikleri aracılığıyla dili öğrenmeye motive edebilmektedir. Teknoloji kullanılarak etkinlikler öğrenciler için daha etkili ve eğlenceli hale getirilebilir. Videolar, çevrimiçi oyunlar ve farklı orijinal materyaller öğrencilerin sürecine katkıda bulunur. Öntest-sontest deseni ve karma yöntem yaklaşımını benimseyecek bu yarı deneysel çalışmanın amacı, 10 haftalık Aralıksız Dünya İngilizcelerinin öğretimlerinin etkilerini İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen Türk ortaokul öğrencilerinin farklı ingilizceleri görmesi sınıf içinde bununla alakalı etkinlikler yapmasını, hem grupları içinde hem de gruplar arasında olası etkilerini de göz önüne alarak araştırmaktı. Çalışmanın amaçları doğrultusunda çalışmaya, Türkiye'deki bir ortaokulda eğitim gören 58 ortaokul öğrencisi katıldı. Nicel veriler tüm becerileri içeren yeterlilik testi(a) ve farkındalık ölçeği(b) ile toplanacak olup görüşme(c) yapıldı, tüm testler ön ve son test olarak uygulandı. Nitel veriler ise yarı yapılandırılmış grup görüşmelerinden elde edildi. Anahtar Kelimeler: : Dünya İngilizceleri, Ortaokul öğrencileri, Sınıf aktiviteleri, Farkındalık
The relationship between EFL students' vocabulary learning strategies and their level of learner autonomy
There are studies on autonomy and vocabulary learning strategies in the field, but there are not many studies on the relationship between vocabulary performance and autonomy levels of Turkish students who learn English as a foreign language. Most of the studies focus on improving student autonomy in foreign language classes, not outside the classroom. This study describes and discusses the relationship between learning autonomy and the learning word learning strategies by comparing it to the trained data. The findings of the study give feedback on the vocabulary learning strategies of Turkish students who have learned English as foreign language and how they relate to being self-learners. When the qualitative and quantitative data of this study were analyzed, a weak positive relationship was found between the autonomy levels and vocabulary learning strategies of students who learned English as a foreign language. In addition, the findings revealed that the students' vocabulary learning strategies are not a significant difference in the frequency of use compared to gender, age and English education year, and students are willing to be autonomous learners. The results obtained by this study suggest that language teachers are aware of their autonomy in vocabulary learning in foreign language classes. In addition, this study is capable of carrying a guide for better vocabulary learning in the second language. Key words: Learner Autonomy, Vocabulary Learning Strategies, EFL Students